The main thing we noticed since having a baby is that time is a more valuable good. We do not have enough time for many things or time is really tight to accomplish certain tasks before the next feeding time has come. Think about feeding. The little one needs to be fed every 3 hours. Take approx. 15 minutes for the preparation, diaper change, cuddling, etc. before the actual feeding. Now take 30 minutes for the actual feeding, burping, holding and interacting with the baby. This really leaves you with approx. 2 hours and 15 minutes (if all goes well, the baby goes to sleep and does not wake up, etc.)

So, what can you really in a little more than 2 hours? Think about it. If you have to go somewhere you have to dress the baby, put him in the car seat, pack a diaper bag, etc. and you lose even more time. Shopping 15 minutes away from home suddenly becomes a challenge because your available time is suddenly less than one hour. Did you ever wonder why you see so many Moms speeding on the highway? Well, there you go .....

After realizing how much (or better how little) time a new parent has available it can be a good thing to time certain events and use the results to plan your day or week with the timing results. A well planned week with plenty of options to switch items around will reduce the stress level significantly. Always keep in mind that the baby sets the rules and that things take twice as long as they used to do before you had the baby. Planning daily and weekly events gets important in areas like buying food. Usually it does not work very well to push the grocery shopping from Monday morning to Friday afternoon the same week.

Writing down the tasks and appointments for the next week every Sunday might be a good option for you if you feel really stressed during the week. Try to combine shopping and other errands you need to run. A 5 minute extension of driving distance to a second store with a 15 minute extension of shopping time can save you a complete trip the next day and take out all the trip preparation from your schedule. Instead of rushing to run errands the next day you could have one trip (which most likely stresses you out anyway) with combined tasks. This tactical approach can result in less wear and tear on yourself and on your baby. It actually can save you money and resources (gasoline, wear and tear on your car, etc.).

All parents (including myself) often tend to forget these simple things when it comes to planning the day ahead. Get back some time for yourself and spend it on things you enjoy.